Following the Charlie Hebdo events, the spotlight has naturally shifted to the debate surrounding freedom of expression and freedom of religion. The University of Cyprus, along with the European University Cyprus and the Cyprus News Agency, accordingly organised a public discussion on this topic on 10 February, and invited nine speakers, including one of LDLaw’s partners, Achilleas Demetriades.

Achilleas spoke of Article 9 of the ECHR, and the meaning and limits of the protection of religious conscience by the ECtHR. Particular examples he discussed included conscientious objectors, the wearing of a cross at the workplace, religious holidays, the headscarf and – on the heels of the highly publicised swearing in of the new Greek Cabinet – the issue of oaths and affirmations. 

The Euro-Mediterranean Federation against enforced disappearances (FEMED), with its project “Support to the transition process, justice, truth and reconciliation”, in a bid to raise awareness of transitional justice, organised two roundtables concerning “Transitional Justice: learning from the past to build an effective democratic transition – the Moroccan and Cypriot experiences”.

Natasa Iakovou, an associate at LDLaw, attended the first roundtable discussion in Casablanca, where debates and exchanges of experiences took place concerning transitional justice. Natasa also gave a presentation on a Cypriot facet of transitional justice, with a particular focus on the existing truth commission as a method of addressing past injustices. The second round table discussion will take place in Nicosia, Cyprus on 7 March 2015 and members of our office will be actively participating.